Despite its proximity to Chicago, Indiana is not exactly as beloved as our other neighbors. Wisconsin is like our backyard neighbor who lets us use their pool any time. Michigan is like an old friend who stays out for “one more” after everyone else has gone home.

Add that to an Irish defense that is one of the very best in college football, and Notre Dame has a chance to have a formula that is pretty hard for opposing teams to figure out.

While the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Poll both give us a glimpse at how good teams really are, Notre Dame and many other college football teams really want to know where they stand in front of the College Football Playoff committee.